Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-10-18
RIVER IMPROVEMENT CONVENTION.

The Suffer County Farmer has always
been recognized ar one of the chief anti
hydraulic mining journals, and has stood
foremost in its section in favor of river
protection, and in rendering aid in check
ing river destruction. 1t refers, with ap-
prevail, to the RECORD UNIONS proposition
for an early conference Of representatives
on the river counties, with our Senators
and Congressman, with view of urging
upon Congress, in December, the necessity
for more vigorous action looking to the
improvement Of the navigation Of the Sac
ramento river. The Fn,ncr believes, with
the REcoRD-UMoN. that the people of
California have done all that should rea-
sonably be expected Of them to stop the
hydraulic mining that contributes to the
filling Of the Feather and Sacramento riv-
err. But if the requirements of Congress
and the War Department are to be literally
and to the very letter complied with, and
nothing done to save the river until all
such hydraulic mining has ceased, then the
river will not for years be given the atten-
ton its deplorable condition demands. For
there long will be, here and there, some
resisting hydraulic miner who will man
age 10 turn loose nozzle" now and then
III spite Of injunctiOns and watchfulness
an the part of the people. Thus, use of
the Congressional appropriation can be
indefinitely postponed. The people of
California have secured decisions OF the
Courts against the nuisance and laid in
functions upon it; they have satisfied the
legal and legislative tribunals that thought
TO be abated; they have borne excessively
heavy taxation in order to command means
to prosecute the trespassers; for nearly
eight years they have contended with the
offenders, winning at every step, and it is
now time for the Federal Government to
come to their aid. For all practical
ends, hydraulic mining has been stopped,
80 far as the efforts Of the valley people
ought to concern Congress. Viewed from a
just standpoint, Congress never should
have required the people Of the valley to
do battle with The trespassers. They did
not cause the nuisance; they are in no
sense responsible for it; the river is under
Federal control; it is a free highway for
the commerce of all the country; the OBJ
legation is therefore upon the Federal
Government to protect this navigable
stream from injury, and restore it. so far as
can be done, to its original integrity. The
Farmer suggests that convention be held
at Sacramento, to consider the subject, and
that our Senators and Representatives be
invited to attend the session.
The subject is an exceedingly in
tereStlng one, and whatever is done
should be undertaken at once, and
the meeting called not later than the first
week in November, The people of Oak
land took similar step last month to ad-
vance the claims Of their harbor; the in
terestS involved in the river problem are
thousand fold greater, and far nearer to the
vital affairs Of the State All that is asked
rs that our case shall be represented to
Congress torcibly. To secure this end we
should fortify our Senators and Representa-
tlves by public gathering and expression
The one great navigablc stream of the
State is woefully neglected, and its inter
eSts are suffering because of what is now,
we submit, but technical objection on the
part of the Federal Government. 1t
would not be too early to have the con-
yention meet in Sacramento the first Mon
day IN November, and to ask the Super
VIsors OF each county, Improvement Asso-
CITATIONS and city governing bodies to name
delegates.